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Comparing The American Dream In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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In of Mice and Men, Steinbeck demonstrates the joy of the American Dream through George's and Lenny's own dream of owning a small farm. Steinbeck shows how many of the characters get excited when talking about owning their own place. Through the joy of the American Dream he shows us that the smallest bit of hope helps improve the daily lives of the story members by giving them something to strive for, a purpose in life. Steinbeck first demonstrates the American Dream when George and Lennie are waiting by the river. While by the river Lennie guilt trips George into telling him about their dream farm. Lennie mainly asks about the rabbits and when George tells him the story of how one day they will own their own farm, Lennie gets very happy "Come …show more content…

In the first occasion Lennie asks George about living on their own land and Candy overhears them. When Candy overhears them, he becomes very excited and turns around listening to George "Old Candy turned slowly over. His eyes were wide opened. He watched George carefully" (Steinbeck 56). When George finishes talking candy asks about the place they want to live and wants to join them. He even offers to pay four hundred dollars for expenses if they let him join. They accept his offer and become very happy because they thought they would never be able to buy their own place, but to them it seemed as they just might do it "they fell into a silence. They looked at one another, amazed. This thing they had never really believed in was coming true" (Steinbeck 60). In another instance later on in the story they tell Crooks about buying land for a farm. Crooks tells them they will never get the land and George will spend all the money in town, but Candy interrupts him and talks about how all men want land and that they will get some "sure they all want it. Everybody wants a little bit of land, not much .... George ain't got that money in town. It's in the bank me and Lennie and George. We gonna have a room to ourselves.... We're gonna have green corn an maybe a cow or a goat" (Steinbeck 76). Crooks reconsiders his thoughts after Candy says this. He then asks if they would like an extra hand and

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